The Dadès gorges from Ouarzazate: the valley road, the switchbacks and where to sleep

Can you see the Dadès gorges in a day from Ouarzazate? Yes, but it is a long day, and it helps to know that before you set out. The gorges start where the N10 reaches Boumalne Dadès, about 115 km east of Ouarzazate, and the parts people come for lie another 25 to 30 km up a mountain valley. From Tifoultoute, count two and a half hours each way without stops to reach the famous switchbacks, so five hours or more at the wheel for the round trip.

That does not make it a bad day trip. It makes it a day trip you should plan properly, or one you turn into a night.

The road out

Leave early; we serve breakfast from early morning and pack it to go if you are on the road before it is laid out. The N10 runs east through Skoura and along the Dadès to Kelaat M’Gouna, where the hedges of the Valley of Roses line the fields, then on another 25 km or so to Boumalne. Both make good stops on the way, and Kasbah Amridil in Skoura is the best kasbah visit on this road. Boumalne itself is a crossroads town on a plateau above the river, with fuel and cafés. It is the last place to fill up before the gorges.

Up the valley

At Boumalne, turn north off the N10 onto the road up the Dadès. For the first stretch the valley is wide and farmed, a ribbon of fields, poplars, walnut trees and earthen kasbahs between bare hills of red and ochre, many of them now guesthouses. The road is paved, mostly in good condition, and narrow in places.

The Monkey Fingers

Around the village of Tamellalt the cliffs on the west side of the valley change texture. Erosion has cut the conglomerate rock into hundreds of rounded, upright knobs that locals and guides call the Monkey Fingers. You see them from the road, but the better way is to walk into the side canyon behind them: a loop of two to three hours through narrow passages, with a little scrambling and the odd ladder or high step. Go with a local guide, who knows the way out and can tell you whether the canyon is safe after rain.

The switchbacks and the narrows

Further up, near Aït Ouffi, the valley closes in. The walls of the gorge rise between 200 and 500 m, and the road, which has followed the river until now, climbs out of the narrowest part in a tight ladder of hairpin bends. This is the view on every postcard of the Dadès. There are places to stop at the top, where most people pull over to look straight down on the bends; it is worth staying long enough to watch a truck or a minibus work its way up.

Drive the switchbacks slowly and in a low gear, give way to anything bigger than you, and do not stop on the bends for photos.

Past the switchbacks, the road continues through the upper gorge towards Msemrir, where the gorge proper ends. Beyond, the road gets narrower and rougher and becomes piste in places on the way over the mountains to Agoudal and the top of the Todra. That crossing is for a four wheel drive, an experienced driver and a settled weather forecast; ask locally before trying it.

Sleep in the Dadès, or drive back?

Our honest view: if the Dadès is a day out from Ouarzazate and you are coming back to us, it is doable, but go as far as the switchbacks, enjoy them, and turn round. Leave a walk in the Monkey Fingers for a trip when you sleep in the valley.

If you are continuing east towards the desert, sleep in the Dadès. Evening light in the gorge is the best of the day, the guesthouses along the river are quiet and simple, and you set off the next morning towards Todra already two hours closer. That is how most itineraries towards Merzouga are built, and it is the shape of the road described in our Ouarzazate to Merzouga guide.

Hiking

The Dadès is good walking country beyond the Monkey Fingers: paths climb from the valley floor to plateaus and nomad grazing above, and lead through side gorges to villages with no road. Day walks are easy to arrange in the valley with a local guide. Our private guide can also build a longer walking day into a trip from Ouarzazate.

Seasons and weather

The Dadès is higher and colder than Ouarzazate. From November to March, nights are cold and often below freezing, guesthouses can be chilly, and snow falls on the upper valley and the passes; the road beyond Msemrir may close. Days in winter are often clear and beautiful, so dress in layers and bring a warm jacket for the evening.

Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with mild days and the orchards in leaf or turning. Summer days are hot but cooler than the desert, and storms can build over the mountains in the afternoon. Flash floods are a real risk after heavy rain: never park or camp in a dry river bed, and turn back if water is crossing the road.

On to Todra and the desert

From Boumalne, the N10 continues east to Tinghir, about an hour away, where a short road runs north into the Todra gorge, narrower and more enclosed than the Dadès but shorter. From there the route goes on to Erfoud and the dunes of Merzouga. Our southern Morocco itinerary lays out the full loop over five to seven days, with the Dadès as the natural first night east of Ouarzazate.

If you do the Dadès as a day from the riad, you will be back on the roof around sunset after five hours on the road. Order dinner before you leave in the morning, and it will be waiting.

Good to know

How far are the Dadès gorges from Ouarzazate?

Boumalne Dadès is about 115 km east on the N10, around two hours. The switchbacks are another 25 to 30 km up the valley, so allow two and a half hours each way without stops.

Do I need a four wheel drive for the Dadès gorges?

Not to reach the switchbacks and the upper gorge towards Msemrir: the road is paved. Beyond Msemrir, towards Agoudal and the Todra, a four wheel drive and local advice are needed.

Where are the Monkey Fingers?

On the west side of the Dadès valley around the village of Tamellalt, between Boumalne and the switchbacks. The walk through the canyon takes two to three hours and is best done with a local guide.